News

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) is pleased to welcome the new Board of Education. Newly elected trustees Ashley Anderson and Michelle Barto will join incumbent members Vicki Snell, Charlene Metoyer, Martha Fluor, Dana Black and Karen Yelsey. The new Board took their oath of office on December 11, 2018.

The Board is comprised of seven elected members who are responsible for goal setting and policy making in order to best serve the educational interests of students in the district. They set direction and policy for the district, its programs, employees, students, and school facilities. “We extend our thanks and gratitude to recently retired Board trustees Judy Franco and Walt Davenport for their long-time service to our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Frederick Navarro. “We look forward to the new perspectives and contributions of our newest members,” he said. The Board is elected by the public and occupy unique roles being they are also citizens, and, in some cases, parents.

Ashley Anderson joins the Board as trustee of area 7. A lifelong Costa Mesa resident, Anderson was an elementary school teacher and currently works for a local nonprofit organization. Her priorities include closing the literacy achievement gap, equal access to resources across all schools, and innovative technology-driven education.

“I understand and love our community, especially the schools and neighborhood where I grew up and still live,” said Anderson. “We are always better together, and I am excited to collaborate and make our schools the best they can be.”

Michelle Barto joins the Board as trustee of area 5. A Newport-Mesa native, she brings a unique perspective as a small-business owner and web developer. Barto is focused on student safety and support, providing individualized tools to support every student’s career path, and communication and transparency to better inform parents and students of available resources.

“I am committed to listening to the voices of stakeholders, executing a plan and analyzing data to continue to do better for our students,” said Barto.

About Newport-Mesa Unified School District: Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) serves 32 schools and approximately 22,000 students in the Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Corona del Mar areas. The mission of NMUSD, in partnership with the Costa Mesa - Newport Beach communities, is to graduate students who have acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to achieve significant career, educational, civic, and personal goals, which will enrich our society.

Each year, the Board of Education nominates and selects Board officers, nominates and selects representatives/liaisons for various committees, schedules Board Meetings for the year, and appoints administrative positions for 2019.

Consent Calendar:

19.b.1. Approve the Going Merry Subscription for Newport-Mesa Unified School District High Schools for the 2018-19 School Year – Going Merry is a free scholarship application platform that allows students to apply to multiple scholarships on the same site. This platform allows counselors to track and support their students’ applications.

Discussion/ Action Calendar:

20.b. Approve the 2018-19 First Period Interim Report of District's Financial Status - It is recommended that the Board of Education approve the 2018-19 First Period Interim Report and adopt a positive certification of the district's financial standing. It is required that each district in California file interim reports twice each fiscal year. The first report covers the financial and budgetary status of the district for the period ending October 31. The First Period Interim Report includes the following:

Narrative of Changes

First Period Interim Report (Form 01I)

Criteria and Standards Review

Actual and Projected Cash Flows

The Board must certify in writing whether or not the district is able to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year based on the following:

The standards and criteria for fiscal stability established by State of California.

The district's projected cash within the County Treasury and the projected unrestricted fund balances that will be available for meeting its obligations.

Any additional financial information known by the Board to exist at the time of certification.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is an item that is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Public hearing is an opportunity for the Board to receive public opinion on the specific public hearing topic and not intended as a public dialogue.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

In partnership with Harbor Council PTA we have developed a series of 8 monthly workshops with current topics that are relevant to Newport-Mesa USD Families. We have a variety of amazing speakers and are looking forward to seeing you there. Please use the links to RSVP. This is also a great opportunity to connect with other Newport-Mesa USD families!

All workshops will begin at 6 pm
Child Care is available. Spanish interpretation is available. Additional languages available upon request.

This message is to inform you that the following schools have been dismissed early: Corona del Mar Middle School & High School, Newport Harbor High School, Back Bay High School due to the weather. Newport Heights, Whittier, and Newport Elementary are also releasing on a staggered schedule. Other schools are being monitored. At this time, they will dismiss at their regular time.

All District, PTA, and city elementary after-school programs will be cancelled this afternoon due to the weather.

Please be assured that the safety of our students and staff is our first priority. If you would like to pick up your child early, be sure to bring identification so that we can ensure that students are reunited with authorized adults. Students who are on campus after school will be supervised by staff until they are picked up.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this event. We will keep families and the community updated on any new developments.

The California Department of Education published the revised California School Dashboard at 10 a.m. on December 6th, 2018. On California’s Department of Education Website, Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) families and the community will see all new data visuals representing the performance and growth of the district/schools based on multiple sets of data.

Overall, NMUSD maintained the designation as high performing (indicated as green on the new visual colored gauges) in the following areas: Math, English, College and Career Readiness, Chronic Absenteeism and Graduation rate. The district performance declined one level to the yellow designation on the colored gauge in the area of Suspensions. The district “Met Standards” on all the locally reported indicators for the second year in a row. These local indicators include Parent Engagement, Implementation of Academic Standards, Local Climate Survey, Access to a Broad Course of Study, and Basics (Teachers, Instructional Materials, Facilities).

“The upward trend of our scores can be directly attributed to the exemplary efforts of our dedicated professionals - teachers, support staff and administrators,” said Superintendent Dr. Frederick Navarro. “Each comes to work every day with the express intent of getting every student to achieve and exceed grade level skills and knowledge. It is this focused dedication that continues to move the needle in the right direction for every student and our district as a whole,” he said.

The Dashboard is expected to be easier to read and understand as a result of feedback from stakeholders after the 2017 pilot dashboard was released. Enhancements include an easier way to compare overall school or district test scores with state averages, mobile-friendly design, and translation of academic terms into Spanish.

12.a. Report on Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Local Performance Indicators for California School Dashboard - There are eight state priorities identified in LCFF law. As a result, the State Board of Education approved the Local Indicators, which are based on information that districts collect locally. Each school district is required to measure and report its progress on the following Local Indicators:

Basic Services

Implementation of State Academic Standards

Parent Engagement

School Climate

Access to a Broad Course of Study

Representatives from the Department of Assessment and Data Analysis, Special Projects, and Student Services will report on LCFF Local Performance Indicators for the California School Dashboard.

Consent Calendar:

16.b.5. Approve Agreement With Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County for the Workplace Mentoring Program for Estancia High School for the 2018 - 2019 School Year - The Workplace Mentoring Program will pair students (Littles) from Estancia High School with adult corporate mentors (Bigs) through a mentoring system that provides a positive role model which leads to school and lifetime success.

16.b.6. Approve Master Service Agreement Between Newport Mesa Unified School District and the Discovery Science Center - Discovery Science Center has agreed to provide various science programs at district-wide sites for a five-year period.

16.b.8. Approve 2018-2019 Comprehensive Safety Plans - The purpose of the plan is to identify appropriate strategies and programs that provide and maintain a high level of school safety, including the school’s procedures in the case of earthquakes, fires, and other emergencies. NMUSD has adopted a two-part Comprehensive School Safety Plan: Part I, Policy Review and Planning and Part II, Emergency Procedures. The 2018-2019 Comprehensive School Safety Plans are available for review at each of the district schools. Review of non-sensitive safety related plans and materials will be available upon request at school sites.

Discussion/ Action Calendar:

17.b. Naming of Education Center Patio Courtyard - It is requested that the Board of Education approve the request to name the Education Center Patio Courtyard the Judith A. Franco Patio Courtyard in honor of her 38 years of service on the Board of Education and the students of Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

17.c. First Reading and Adoption of Modifications to Board Policy - It is recommended that the Board take the recommendation of the Board's policy editing team to conduct this first reading, waive the second reading, and adopt the revisions to the following policies which are a result of changes in law, regulations, or court decisions.

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is an item that is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Public hearing is an opportunity for the Board to receive public opinion on the specific public hearing topic and not intended as a public dialogue.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD), in partnership with the Newport Mesa Schools Foundation, hosted the annual State of the Schools Breakfast on October 2, 2018.

The goal of the breakfast is to expand the District's outreach and contact with our local community and continue to build partnerships and relationships that enhance educational opportunities for our students.

This year we welcomed more than 250 attendees from throughout our school community, including students, staff, parents, city leaders, business and local community members.

Thank you to all who attended, our Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation raised more than $21,000, which goes toward annual grants to teachers’ program benefiting students throughout our district.

16.b.5. Approve the After-School Education and Safety (ASES) Program Grant Award for the 2018-2019 School Year. ASES Program funds are used to support Project Kidz Connect, an after-school program that provides assistance to students and broaden the base of support for education in a safe, constructive environment at various elementary schools.

Public Hearing

17.a. Public Hearing - Compliance with Requirements of Education Code Sections 60119 and 60422(b) - Sufficiency of Textbooks or Instructional Materials that are Consistent with the Content and Cycles of the Curriculum Framework for 2018-19.

Discussion/Action Calendar

18.d. Approve the Proposed Cooperative Agreements with the City of Costa Mesa and Newport-Mesa Unified School District for Submission to the City of Costa Mesa for the Improvement, Maintenance and Operation of the Athletic Fields and Related Recreational Facilities at Kaiser Elementary and Davis Magnet Schools.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is an item that is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Public hearing is an opportunity for the Board to receive public opinion on the specific public hearing topic and not intended as a public dialogue.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Estancia alumni, Manuel Chavez, will be guest speaker at SOY's Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m. Manuel is a graduate of Estancia High School, an SOY Alumni, and graduate of UC Irvine. He will be speaking about civic involvement and the importance of helping your community make your voices and opinions heard. Please see the attached flyer for more information about the event.

Estancia High School will be participating in the California Shake Out Earthquake Drill on Thursday, October 18 at 10:18 a.m. Students and staff will drop, cover and hold during the earthquake drill and then evacuate the school building.

The Orange County League of Women Voters will be on campus on Thursday, October 18 at break and lunch to students ages 16 and older register to vote. Students must bring their driver's license, California ID Card, or last 4 digits of their Social Security Number to register to vote. It's not too late to register to vote in the upcoming November election!

16.a.4. Aprove Authorization to Advertise and Award Bid #119-18 Bleachers for Sports Field Project – Corona del Mar High School – On October 24, 2017, the Board of Education adopted Resolution No. 21-10-17 certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and approved the Corona del Mar Middle and High School Sports Fields Project, Option B.

16.b.5. Approve Agreement Between Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, Simon Foundation and Newport-Mesa Unified School District for the Workplace Mentoring Program for Estancia and Costa Mesa High Schools for the 2018 - 2019 School Year. Big Brothers Big Sisters in partnership with the Simon Family Foundation will be providing the Workplace Mentoring program to a separate cohort of current Simon Scholars at Estancia and Costa Mesa High Schools. Each Simon Scholar will be paired with positive, caring, screened and trained adult corporate mentors through the tiered mentoring system all facilitated through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Discussion/Action Calendar

17.a. Approve the Early Commitment to College Program Partnership Agreement with the Coast Community College District. Coast Community College District (CCD) will offer active assistance to high school students enrolled in NMUSD and their families in a tuition-free first year of higher education at CCCD Colleges.

17.b. Authorize the Superintendent or Designee to Negotiate Agreements with the City of Costa Mesa and Newport-Mesa Unified School District for the Improvement, Maintenance and Operation of the Athletic Fields and Related Recreational Facilities at Kaiser Elementary and Davis Magnet Schools.

17.c. Adopt Resolution 08-10-18 in Support of Week of the School Administrator, October 8-14, 2018.NMUSD recognizes the important role of site administrators in leading effective instructional programs that serve students and parents. These leaders are supported by a network of dedicated administrative professionals, including special education and adult education leaders, curriculum experts, school business officials and classified educational leaders, among many others.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Students in Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) continue to show growth in the statewide English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics standards. Students in grades three through eight and grade 11 take the statewide Smarter Balanced Assessments.

NMUSD students remain above Orange County and California averages overall in both ELA and mathematics.

The Smarter Balanced Assessments are computer adaptive tests that adjust the difficulty of the test items based on how a test taker responds. This provides a more precise measure of student performance.

The Smarter Balanced Assessments, now in their fourth year, show an increase of nearly six percentage points in NMUSD students having met or exceeded ELA standards, and an increase of five percentage points in students having met or exceeded math standards, when compared to the 2015 baseline assessments.

From 2017 to 2018 all elementary grades experienced growth in ELA with third, fourth, and seventh grades showing the most significant growth. Specifically, third grade demonstrated double-digit growth from 2015 baseline in both ELA and math, which is a strong reflection of NMUSD’s focused efforts in the primary grades.

English Learners in grades three through six showed four percentage point growth in English Language Arts from 2017 to 2018, which is encouraging as NMUSD schools are increasing focus on English Language Development.

Statewide Assessment Highlights:

11 schools show double digit growth in ELA

Adams Elementary

California Elementary

College Park Elementary

Ensign Intermediate

Killybrooke Elementary

Newport Heights Elementary

Paularino Elementary

Pomona Elementary

Rea Elementary

Sonora Elementary

Whittier Elementary

8 schools show double digit growth in mathematics

Adams Elementary

Eastbluff Elementary

Ensign Intermediate

Kaiser Elementary

Killybrooke Elementary

Newport Heights Elementary

Paularino Elementary

Sonora Elementary

6 schools show double digit growth in both ELA and mathematics

Adams Elementary

Ensign Intermediate

Killybrooke Elementary

Newport Heights Elementary

Paularino Elementary

Sonora Elementary

Our district continues to focus on providing classroom intervention systems to support differentiation of instruction. Intervention staff were added to better allow teachers to provide targeted support to struggling students and additional enrichment opportunities for high achieving students.

In the 2017 to 2018 school year, new ELA instructional materials for transitional kindergarten (TK) through sixth grade, and new mathematics instructional materials for TK through fifth grade were adopted. This transition was supported with ongoing professional development for instructional staff to better support students.

“While we are never satisfied until all students meet proficiency standards, we are pleased to see continuous growth overall, particularly in the first year of implementation of two new adoptions at the elementary level,” said Deputy Superintendent Russell Lee-Sung.

“Our focus on foundational skills, interventions, and building a cohesive instructional program from TK to 12th grade will continue to be at the forefront of our collective efforts to support the success of each student,” said Lee-Sung.

Individual student 2018 score reports were mailed to parents in late July 2018. The NMUSD Smarter Balanced testing window for 2019 is March 18 – June 14, 2019.

While statewide assessments provide valuable information about overall student progress and areas for improvement, they do not provide a holistic view of student achievement. The California School Dashboard provides a more detailed view of performance, based on multiple factors, beyond state testing results. These factors include graduation rates, suspension rates, chronic absenteeism and college and career readiness, as well as local indicators such as implementation of academic standards, parent engagement and the local climate survey.

College and Career Night will be Wednesday, October 17, 2018, 6:30-9:00 pm at the Costa Mesa Pavilion and the Santa Ana Pavilion at the OC Fair and Event Center.

Over 200 colleges and universities will be represented as well as interactive career demonstration exhibits in the career sectors of health and medical, engineering and information technology, and hospitality and tourism.

Breakout sessions will be offered in Spanish and English in the Santa Ana Pavilion for students and parents interested in Financial Aid, CSU System overview, Community College Overview, and Writing Great College Essays.

Estancia High School would like to invite your family to Back to School Night on Thursday, October 4. The evening will begin with a short presentation in the Main Gym at 6:30 p.m. Classroom visits will begin at 6:55 p.m. Students will be provided with a blank class schedule to complete and give to their parents/guardians in advance of Back to School Night. The blank class schedule is attached should you not receive a schedule from your child. Please note the following regarding Back to School Night:

All P.E., Yoga, Weight Training, and Sports PE classes will meet in the Main Gym

The following classes will not be meeting on the evening of Back to School Night: Zero period classes, 9th period classes, Tutor Corps classes, Eagle Advisory, Eagle Tutorial, Eagle Activity, and Eagle Study & Read classes

If you have any questions regarding Back to School Night, please contact the Main Office at (949) 515-6500. We look forward to meeting your family next Thursday!

Students...Are you looking for a fun way to earn community service hours? The Costa Mesa Community Run is happening on Sunday, September 23 at Jim Scott Stadium and volunteers are needed to help set up for the event, register runners, help on the course, and take down at the end of the race. Help is needed starting at 6:30 a.m. that day. If you would like to volunteer, please send a text message to Kathleen Andrews at (714) 319-3015. All volunteers must complete the attached Volunteer Waiver Form.

Just a reminder that students in Grades 11 & 12 must complete a total of 40 hours of community service to graduate from Newport-Mesa Unified School District. There is no community service graduation requirement for students in Grades 9 & 10 however, students are highly encouraged to give back to their local community while developing a deeper perspective of the world they live in. If you have any questions about community service, please see Miss Chamberlin in the Main Office or email Miss Chamberlin at jchamberlin@nmusd.us. Juniors and seniors...Remember to bring the attached Community Service Verification Form with you when you volunteers and have an adult in charge sign the form.

In our continued effort to improve safety on our campuses, we would like to inform you about a few safety updates throughout Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD). For a more robust look into school safety, we encourage you to visit the NMUSD Safety Webpage at www.nmusd.us/SchoolSafety.

School Resource Officers (SRO):

We partner with the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach Police Departments to provide School Resource Officers (SRO), which are local law enforcement officers who serve our schools and district facilities. We are in discussions to increase the number of SROs and increase their presence at elementary schools.

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Support:

Our District hired four additional school psychologists and a coordinator of student services to provide enhanced services in the areas of student social, emotional, and behavioral well-being.

Our district recently hired two additional school social workers and four additional school psychologists to share in the delivery of psychological support services, conduct risk and threat assessments, and participate on the districts Crisis Response Team.

We have a threat assessment processes and will be implementing a team threat assessment model consistent with the recommendations of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other community agencies. This will focus on the identification and response to potential threats on our school campuses.

We continue to develop and will implement a restorative culture plan, where students are held accountable and provided support throughout all our schools, as well provide ongoing staff training in the areas of school discipline.

Suicide prevention, identification, and response training also will continue, along with a focus to support Positive Behavior and Intervention Systems to enhance school climate and promote a positive school culture.

Physical Environment:

NMUSD staff, in conjunction with our district’s security consultant, fencing expert, and school site administration conducted physical site safety reviews at each of our schools to determine potential enhancements to improve physical school security.

As part of this review, some physical security and safety enhancements will begin construction in the 2018/19 school year. Please read the School Fencing (August 2018) news Item for more information.

Visitor Check-in Process:

Beginning in the 2018/19 school year, all visitors to school and district properties will be required to show a valid photo identification when requesting access to the site. Our district is using the Raptor Visitor Management System at every school site to track visitors and volunteers during the school day. Read more about this in the Raptor Visitor Management news item.

Emergency Communication System: Titan

Beginning in the 2018/19 school year, NMUSD will use the Titan Emergency Communication System as the Emergency Communication System district wide. Titan will allow staff to provide emergency information and updates via text, email, phone, and mobile application alerts. Contact your school to learn more about the emergency communication system.

13.a. Report on Secondary Summer Language Academy– For the past two years, NMUSD has run a summer language program in partnership with California State University, Fullerton.

13.a. Report on Elementary Summer Engineering and Music Programs - Education Services will report on the K-6 Summer Engineering and Music programs.

Consent Calendar

16.d.3. Approve the Memorandum of Understanding between NMUSD and Project Hope Alliance –Project Hope Alliance, a family stability program that seeks to find and maintain secure housing for vulnerable children and their guardians, will expand their services to students at Costa Mesa High School.

Discussion/Action Calendar

18.b. Authorize to Negotiate and Award Estancia High School Aquatic Center Project - To maintain the schedule for completion of this project by February 2020, it is requested that the Board of Education authorize the district’s Assistant Superintendent, Chief Operating Officer to negotiate and award contracts to Westberg + White Architects and Planners and California Waters for the Estancia High School Aquatic Center Project.

18.d. First Reading and Adoption of Modifications to Board Policy – It is recommended that the Board of Education take the recommendation of the Board's policy editing team to conduct this first reading, waive the second reading, and adopt the revisions to the following policies which are a result of changes in law, regulations, or court decisions.

BP 0420.4 - Charter Schools

BP 1325 - Advertising and Promotion

BP 4119.21/4219.21/4319.21 - Professional Standards

BP 5113.1 - Chronic Absence and Truancy

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Welcome back to a new school year Eagles! The first day of school will be on Tuesday, September 4. Estancia High School will be on a late start traditional bell schedule on Tuesday, September 4 and Wednesday, September 5.

Student Schedules

Students who have completed registration should arrive to school by 7:45 a.m. and find the lists posted outside of the Main Office and Library to identify the location of their 1st period class. Students will receive their school schedule in their 1st period classes on Tuesday. Students who have an "open" 1st period are to report to the Commons to pick up their school schedule. Students who have not completed registration must report to the Main Office to complete the registration process. Link Crew Leaders will be available to help students locate their first period classes on Tuesday morning.

Schedule Changes

Counselors will be busy the first few days of school meeting with new students who enroll. No changes in elective courses will be made until the second week of school. Students who desire an elective course change can complete a Schedule Change Request Form which will be available in the Counseling Office. Counselors will review elective course change requests starting the week of September 13th. Students cannot request teacher changes or open period changes. It is important that our master schedule remain balanced and that classes are offered throughout the school day. The deadline for schedule changes for the fall semester of the 2018-2019 school year is September 21.

Estancia Tutorial-Advisory Program

All students have been assigned to an Eagle Advisory (Grade 9 & Link Crew Leaders), Eagle Tutorial, Eagle Activity, or Eagle Study & Read. These classes will appear on students' schedules as a "zero" period class but meet from 9:35 a.m. to 10:05 a.m. on block days (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). Attendance is mandatory.

In an effort to strengthen campus safety at all of our schools, Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) will begin using the Raptor Visitor Management System. The Raptor system will allow us to better track and screen all of our visitors on campus.

Upon entering any NMUSD school, visitors will be asked to present identification such as a driver’s license, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have US government-issued identification, school staff can use alternate forms of identification and manually enter the visitor’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system will also check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge for improved student safety.

We recognize that privacy and confidentiality are important to our visitors, which is why we want to emphasize that the Raptor system only checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the identification card is gathered or recorded. The information is not shared with any outside agency.

Once entry is approved, the Raptor system will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off or pick up items in the front office.

The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority and the Raptor system allows us to quickly identify visitors that may present a danger to our students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and your support in enhancing our school safety protocols in our district. Contact your school principal if you have questions about this system.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) facilities staff, in conjunction with our district’s security consultant, fencing expert, and school site administrators conducted physical site safety reviews at each of our schools and district owned properties to determine potential enhancements to improve physical school security.

As part of this review the following physical security and safety enhancements are expected to begin construction on September 17, 2018, with construction expected to be complete in October, 2018. Additional projects will be considered in the future.

Corona del Mar (CdM) Middle and High School

Additional fencing will be installed to close gaps in the existing chain link fence surrounding CdM Middle and High School, along Vista del Oro and Mar Vista Drive. Rarely used pedestrian gates also will be permanently closed to enhance security.

Davis Magnet School

The existing four-foot fence at the rear of the campus will be replaced with a six-foot fence.

Estancia High School

The existing four-foot chain link fence near the south parking lot (solar panel parking lot) will be replaced with a six-foot fence.

Additional fencing will be installed to close gaps in the existing chain link fence, between the campus and Joanne Street residences.

A six-foot chain link fence will be installed between the locker room building and the tennis court area.

A six-foot chain link fence also will be installed between the high school and the NMUSD owned property to the west of the campus (known as the Waldorf School).

Currently fenced areas, between the campus and neighboring homes, will be repaired as needed.

Ensign Intermediate School

Additional (temporary) chain link fencing will be installed along the parking lot, library building and front office to direct campus visitors to the main office entry.

Ensign Intermediate also is scheduled to get new Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) installed in the summer of 2019. Upon approval by the Board of Education, the following school facility enhancements also are anticipated in the summer of 2019:

NMUSD parents should be receiving or have already received the California Assessment of Student Progress and Performance (CAASPP) Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) student score reports via US Postal Service delivery system.

If you would like additional information and resources related to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Testing please visit the Resources for Parents and Students webpage or contact your child’s school.

School and districtwide SBAC results are not yet available. We anticipate that the State will make this data available in September 2018. Once available, the information will be available on the State Testing information and Results webpage.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) attracted more than 700 students to its Summer Engineering Academy, Music Academy, and Costa Mesa SMART CAMP Program. Students needing additional support also had opportunities to participate in English and math summer programs to better prepare them before advancing to the next grade level.

Summer Engineering Academy

More than 450 first through seventh grade students participated in the three-week Summer Engineering Academy. The academy provided students with the opportunity to use the Engineering is Elementary Curriculum. Students also learned from the California Environment Education Curriculum, which taught them the importance of our environment.

Summer engineering allows students to explore new technologies and get excited about creating their own ideas. Students take pride in solving problems and testing possible solutions.

“I love seeing students get excited about things they originally thought were "too hard" or challenging,” said Lindsey Goff, teacher.

Students had the opportunity to:

Design and build cars and boats out of index cards, popsicle sticks, and other materials

“We get to do experiments and sometimes we have to figure it out by ourselves,” said second grade student Jazmin Haro. “Sometimes you have the best ideas and you get to build them. Sometimes you need help and your friend can help you solve the problem,” she said.

The Summer Engineering Academy Fair, on July 26, is the culminating event where families have the opportunity to view their students’ engineering projects in action.

Summer Engineering Academy Fair

Summer Music Academy and City of Costa Mesa SMART Camp Music Program

More than 250 students in grades fourth through eighth participated in the NMUSD Summer Music Academy and the City of Costa Mesa’s SMART CAMP Music Program. Students participated in the three week music program in beginning and intermediate strings, beginning and intermediate band, and jazz band. The Summer Music Academy was offered in the mornings and the City of Costa Mesa's SMART Camp Music Program was offered in the afternoon, giving students a full day of music!

“The music teachers and I are thrilled that we had elementary students working well together and high school volunteers who were great mentors to younger players,” said Mr. Scott Fitzpatrick, music teacher on special assignment.

The highlight of the summer program is typically the culminating summer music concert, where students’ hard work, dedication and talents are showcased through their performances in strings orchestra, concert band, and jazz band.

City of Costa Mesa SMART Camp Music Program

Language Explorers English Language Development Program

Nearly 35 English learners, from grades 8-11, had the opportunity to strengthen their skills in speaking, writing, listening, and reading in English through the Summer English Language Development Program. Students explored poetry, short stories, their communities and their cultures. They also used art as a vehicle of self-expression while building language.

Family members were invited to attend an open house where they learned more about the program, toured classrooms, asked questions, and were able to see firsthand the progress their students have made through their displayed work.

One of the highlights from the program was the opportunity for students to visit the California State University, Fullerton campus on July 25th. This exclusive field trip teaches students fundamental skills for preparing for a life after high school. This experience exposes them to a range of possibilities to help them stay focused and engaged in school.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District announces its yearly policy to serve nutritious meals every school day under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and/or Afterschool Snack program. Effective July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income is less than or equal to the federal guidelines.

Households do not need to turn in an application when the household receives a notification letter saying that all children automatically qualify for free meals when any household member receives benefits from CalFresh, CalWORKs, or FDPIR. Children who meet the definition of foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway, and children enrolled in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals. Contact school officials if any child in the household is not on the notification letter. The household must let school officials know if they do not want to receive free or reduced-price meals.

Applications will be sent to the household with a letter about the free and reduced-price meal program. Households that want to apply for meal benefits must fill out one application for all children in the household and give it to the nutrition office at 2985 Bear Street, Building B, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. For a simple and secure method to apply, use our online application at http://nmusd.heartlandapps.com. Contact the Nutrition Services Office at 714-424-5090 for help with the application. The school will let you know if your application is approved for free or reduced-price meals.

Households may turn in an application at any time during the school year. If you are not eligible now, but your household income goes down, household size goes up, or a household member starts receiving CalFresh, CalWORKs, or FDPIR, you may turn in an application at that time. Information given on the application will be used to determine eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school officials. The last four digits of the Social Security number from any adult household or checking that you do not have a Social Security number is required if you include income on the application.

Households that receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals by filling out an application.

Foster children are eligible for free meals and may be included as a household member if the foster family chooses to also apply for the non-foster children on the same application. Including foster children as a household member may help the non-foster children qualify for free or reduced-price meals. If the non-foster children are not eligible, this does not keep foster children from receiving free meals.

Your child’s eligibility status from last school year will continue only until September 30, 2018 or until the school processes your new application, or your child is otherwise certified for free or reduced-price meals. After September 30, 2018, your child will have to pay full price for meals, unless the household receives a notification letter for free or reduced-price meals. School officials do not have to send reminder or expired eligibility notices.

If you do not agree with the decision or results of verification, you may discuss it with school officials. You also have the right to a fair hearing, which may be requested by calling or writing the hearing official: Dale Ellis, Director of Nutrition Services, 2985 Bear Street, Building B, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, Phone: 714-424-5090.

Contractor:AireMasters

Completed protection of all spaces, safety barriers, and scaffold access. Continuing demolition of old heating equipment to make space for new equipment. Received all interior equipment and started interior ductwork. Upcoming activities include prepping concrete pads and selective roof demolition.

Contractor: LAAir

Completed protection of all spaces, safety barriers, and scaffold access. Continuing demolition of old heating equipment to make space for new equipment. Started concrete pad layout for new ground mounted HVAC units. Upcoming activities include pouring concrete pads and receiving HVAC equipment.

Admin and Fence – Mariners and Newport Heights Elementary

Contractor: JRH Construction

Completed abatement of entire office building. Continued demolition of interior walls and in-wall plumbing. Commenced low voltage rework. Set reinforcing bars and formwork for curb and ramp in parking lot. Removed landscaping in front of new storefront entry. Upcoming activities include pouring concrete for ramp and reframing interior walls.

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) – Wilson Elementary

Contractor: NKS Mechanical

Completed abatement of entire office building. Continued demolition of interior walls and in-wall plumbing. Continued to run electrical conduit in classroom buildings. Started grubbing for new housekeeping pads for new condensing unit. Completed demotion of concrete bus drop off. Upcoming activities include reframing interior walls in office building, setting steel for housekeeping pads and pouring concrete.

14.b.1. Approve Raptor Visitor Management System for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District – The Raptor Visitor Management System can check visitors against databases set by each school, it ensures that accurate and reliable records are kept for every visitor that enters the school.

14.b.3. Approve United States Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Grant Award – This federal assistance program is to provide an additional free fruit or vegetable snack to students during the school day and to teach students about good nutrition. This will be the tenth consecutive year the Newport-Mesa has been awarded funds under this program for use at Rea and Whittier Elementary Schools.

14.b.4. Approve Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) With Turning Point for Families for Newport Harbor High School for the 2018–2019 School Year. Turning Point Center for Families is a non-profit, bi-lingual counseling center that provides prevention, intervention and therapeutic counseling services. Turning Point has previously provided these services to Newport Harbor High School students and parents.

14.b.14 Accept Grant From the City of Costa Mesa for Playground Improvements and Purchase of Musical Instruments for Newport-Mesa Unified School District Costa Mesa Elementary Schools. Approve the grant from the City of Costa Mesa playground improvements at Adams, Paularino, and Pomona elementary schools.

14.b.16 Approve Agreement with AVID (advancement Via Individual Determination) fir the 2018-2019 School Year. AVID is a college readiness program designed to increase school-wide learning and performance.

Early College High School

Ensign Middle School

Estancia High School

Newport Harbor High School

TeWinkle Middle School

Rea Elementary School

14.b.21 Approve Secondary Textbook Adoption. Textbooks are submitted to the Board for approval for use in specific courses. These submissions are originated by the teachers and are approved by the Department Chair and Principal before submission to the Director of K-12 Curriculum. These textbooks have been on display at the Education Center from June 13, 2018.

Campbell Biology in Focus AP Edition 2nd Edition

Chemistry: A Molecular Approach AP Edition

Comprehensive Health, 2nd Edition

Discovering French Today - Level 1

Discovering French Today - Level 2

Discovering French Today - Level 3

ERWC Reader, 2nd Edition

Physics for Scientists and Engineers (AP Edition) 9th Edition

Practical Research: Planning and Design

Psychology in Modules 12th Edition

Discussion/Action Calendar

16.a. Approve Tentative Agreement Between the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter #18. The District and CSEA reached a tentative agreement for reopener negotiations for 2018-19 on June 14, 2018. As part of 2017-18 negotiations, a 2.5% salary increase for 2018-19 was approved by the Board of Education on September 12, 2017.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

On June 26, 2018, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) Board of Education directed staff to consider additional input before making a final recommendation for the District’s Middle and High School Math Course Pathways for the 2018/19 school year.

Based on the Board’s direction, a determination has been made to maintain the current middle and high school math course pathways. An Enhanced Math 7/8 course will continue to be offered to students who earned qualifying scores (80% or better) on the seventh grade Acceleration Determination Point (ADP) Exam. The ADP was administered this past semester to sixth grade students. Notification to families of student results on the ADP and recommended seventh grade math course placement will be mailed to parents by the end of July.

Newly adopted middle school math materials will be utilized in Math 7, Math 8, and Enhanced Math 7/8 courses. Students successfully completing Enhanced Math 7/8 will be placed in Math I as eighth grade students. Traditional and enhanced High School Math I, II, and III pathways will also be maintained for the 2018/19 school year.

While NMUSD will maintain current secondary math pathways for the 2018/19 school year, the District will continue to assess and research instructional practices, materials, and course pathways that will better support all students meeting the expectations of the state standards for mathematics.

10.a. Report on the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) – DELAC, a parent advisory group to support the parents of our District's English Learners will present their Annual Report to the Board which summarizes highlights of the year's activities, along with observations and comments from DELAC Officers and members.

10.b. Safety Update Report - District staff will provide an update on school and workplace safety and review the Orange County Grand Jury recommendations issued to all Orange County school districts.

15.a. Adopt Resolution 39-06-18 All Funds Final Budget - California Education Code Sections 33128, 42127, and 42127(a)(2) require that the governing board of a school district shall adopt a budget for the following fiscal year prior to June 30 of the current fiscal year. District staff has preceded with budget development based on the Governor's May Revised 2018-19 State Budget proposal. In addition, staff has utilized guidance provided by the Orange County Department of Education, School Services of California, the California Association of School Business Officials and a variety of other sources during the budget development process. As required by Education Code section 52062(b)(2), the district conducted a public hearing on June 12, 2018 whereby the district's 2018-19 budget was presented for public review and input.

Discussion Action Calendar

17.e. First Reading and Adoption of Board Policy Revisions - The following policies have been reviewed, edited, and are now being recommended for review and adoption.

BP 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs & Activities

BP 4030 - Nondiscrimination in Employment

BP 4119.11-4219.11-4319.11 - Sexual Harassment

BP 5111 - Admission

BP 5111.1 - District Residency

BP 5131.2 - Bullying

BP 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination-Harassment

BP 5145.7 - Sexual Harassment

BP 5145.9 - Hate-Motivated Behavior

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

SOY offers music production, dance, Zumba, yoga, and spin workshops on Mondays and Wednesdays. A personal statement writing workshop is also offered on Mondays for students looking to apply to college next year. On Tuesdays, SOY will be going on field trips to places such as Knott's Berry Farm and an Angels baseball game. On Thursdays, SOY will be offering college tours to universities including Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, San Diego State University, and Chapman University. On Fridays, SOY will be riding bikes to the pool at the Downtown Recreation Center. Check out the attached SOY summer schedule for more information about the activities offered through SOY.

SOY is also offering a summer camp on Monday, August 13 to Saturday, August 18 at Camp E.L.K. in the Angeles National Forest. Summer camp activities include: archery, hiking, survival skills, campfires, sports, fishing, dance, crafts, team building, and leadership sessions. The cost is $50 for SOY members and transportation is included. See the attached application if you are interested in participating in the SOY summer camp.

Sign-up today to join SOY and take part in these activities. Go to save-our-youth.org or call SOY at (949) 548-3255 for more information.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) is at the forefront of preparing students for a future that involves exciting technological advancements, innovation, and automation. Students and staff in kindergarten through twelfth grade participate in a variety of computer science, robotics, and engineering activities. Project Lead the Way and Computer Science Pathway programs in our middle and high schools, and coding and computer science programs in the elementary grades engage students in exciting technology based learning.

As the California State Board of Education continues to make significant strides in developing and implementing the Computer Science Standards, the momentum in teaching computer science in schools has never been stronger. NMUSD has introduced structured coding and computer science curriculum at many of our elementary schools, with the goal of aligning them to our new English Language Arts and Math curriculums in the fall of 2018.

One of this year’s newest district initiatives is the Elementary Vex IQ Scrimmage League. The Education Technology Department created and coordinated an intra-district robotics league for several elementary schools - Andersen, Davis, Kaiser, Newport Heights, Rea, Eastbluff, and Harbor View. Elementary robotics teachers at these sites coordinated efforts for students to compete in driver skill and teamwork challenges in this year’s Vex IQ Scrimmage League - Ringmaster. The league supported students and staff in their rigorous work aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, computer science, and engineering standards. It also allowed students to persevere in their engineering research, collaborate with teams to redesign robots, and work together to win the scrimmages and become league champions.

As a district we are excited to recognize and share the amazing work of our students and staff in their computer science, engineering, and robotics efforts. We look forward to the expansion of our computer science programs and what our students will create in the near future.

Please take a moment to watch our Technology in the Classroom video as we share some of the advantages, opportunities, and the technology that we provide our students in classrooms throughout Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Parent meeting to learn about shifts in mathematics
Join us to discuss the content and practice shifts in the State Standards for Mathematics in Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) with
Dr. Patrick Callahan and NMUSD Staff. (Spanish interpreter available)

Six Seniors Recognized in the Superintendent Character Trait Awards Program

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) recognized six high school seniors for their exceptional character leadership traits. Now in its sixth year, the program recognizes six graduating seniors from high schools throughout our district who exemplify one of the six pillars of character: caring, citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility, and trustworthiness.

Miranda McCormick – Caring – Newport Harbor High School
Miranda cares about her community beyond the walls of the classroom. She works tirelessly in her community to help those in need and improve the lives of others. For six years, she spent her summers volunteering at our school district sponsored Camp Friendship helping younger children with autism develop social skills. She patiently and effectively connects with young people to bring out their best with her kindness that requires no acknowledgement. She also worked to ease childrens pain for children in life-threatening situations and their families as second year in a row president for the on campus the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

James Brown – Citizenship – Estancia High School
James is a peer mentor to ninth grade students as a Link Crew Leader and has participated in Estancia’s Youth and Government program for three years, where he currently serves as delegation president. He is an ambassador of Estancia High School’s student delegate of the Australia Sister City Education Exchange Program, and is a member of Estancia’s Leo Club through Lions International and Interact Club through Rotary International, which promotes leadership and responsible citizenship. He also serves as a tutor and volunteers at local homeless shelters to help coordinate food and clothing donation campaigns.

Alexander Johnson – Respect – Early College High School
Alexander is known for showing consideration toward classmates, staff, and anyone that he meets. He firmly believes in accepting differences in others and practices tolerance of differing ideas in the classroom, and in his daily interactions with others. He consistently demonstrates the ability to be an active listener and genuinely cares about other people’s points of view. When communicating with his classmates he is respectful in his speech and actions towards others. He is a balanced thinker who is easy-going and mild-mannered.Emily Kubisty – Fairness – Estancia High School
Emily consistently models fairness by listening to all points of view during activities and lessons, and she upholds the expectations of leadership and collaboration within the classroom. She is a Link Crew Leader at Estancia and works daily with a group of twelve freshmen leading team-building activities. She actively encourages all students to equally participate and share thoughts in a positive manner. When freshmen students experience disagreement, Emily facilitates communication and understanding between all parties to resolve potential conflicts. She pursues positive solutions to problems, and has built strong relationships as a result. Emily’s ability to be fair and play by the rules also extends to the softball field where she exemplifies the C.I.F. Victory with Honor Principles.

Ryan Hamilton – Trustworthiness – Corona del Mar High School
Ryan has gained the trust of the staff on campus by working as an office teacher assistant. Ryan takes his job seriously and listens well to directions. He understands the importance of his job and ensures that he is ready to serve at any moment. If the office staff has something very important to be delivered or needs something done right, they make sure they give it to him or they will wait until they know he is working to get it done. School staff trusts him and knows that he will be responsible for any task given.

Zaid Batarseh – Responsibility – Costa Mesa High School
Zaid responsibly runs regular meetings with his peers and organizes students in various roles to implement community and fundraising projects. Zaid has taken his school leadership roles seriously, whether as a mentor, running community events, or fundraising. He works closely with parents on various band events, attends parent meetings, does monthly reports, advocates for his peers, and works closely with his teachers. He mentors younger members of the middle school and volunteers to work with elementary students during the summer. Due to his responsible work ethic Zaid was asked to assist teachers with various organizational duties during the district’s elementary summer music program.

In May the selected students received a surprise visit from Superintendent Dr. Fred Navarro and were presented a letter of recognition and an invitation to be recognized by the Board of Education at the June 12, 2018 Board Meeting. A banner with a photo of each student, name of their high school, and their character trait will be displayed in the district lobby throughout the 2018-19 school year.

11.a. Recognition of the 2018 Superintendent’s Character Trait Award Honorees - Six high school seniors are recognized for their exceptional character leadership traits. Now in its sixth year, the program recognizes six graduating seniors from high schools throughout our district who exemplify one of the six pillars of character: caring, citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility, and trustworthiness.

Report

14.b. Facilities Update on the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) Projects and Corona del Mar High School Sports Fields - It is anticipated that HVAC will be installed at the following schools in the summer of 2018 - Davis Magnet, College Park, Kaiser, Wilson, Pomona, and Woodland Elementary Schools.NMUSD is working to construct various upgrades to the sports field at Corona Del Mar High School.

14.c. Report on the Local Control and Accountability Plan and the 2018-19
Budget - Each school district in California must develop an annual plan, the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), that describes the district’s overall vision for students, annual goals and specific actions the district will take to achieve the vision and goals.

Consent Calendar

19.b.4. Approve Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) With the Orange County Human Relations Council for the BRIDGES Program at Newport Harbor High School for the 2018-19 School Year. BRIDGES is a nationally-recognized program with the mission of improving inter-group relations by partnering with schools and communities to create, advocate for, and sustain a safe, inclusive, and equitable school climate that respects society’s diversity.

19.b.13. Approve Secondary Textbook for 30-Day Display – The textbook(s) listed below have been presented for adoption and use at all NMUSD High Schools. It has been certified that these textbook(s) are aligned with the new State Board of Education adopted content Standards (Section 60605).

Campbell Biology in Focus AP Edition 2nd Edition

Chemistry: A Molecular Approach AP Edition

Comprehensive Health, 2nd Edition

Discovering French Today - Level 1

Discovering French Today - Level 2

Discovering French Today - Level 3

ERWC Reader, 2nd Edition

Physics for Scientists and Engineers (AP Edition) 9th Edition

Practical Research: Planning and Design

Psychology in Modules 12th Edition

Discussion Action Calendar

20.a. Approve ‘Illustrative Mathematics” as the Grade Six Through Eight Instructional Math Materials - In August 2017, NMUSD began the process of evaluating and piloting new math instructional materials for sixth through eighth grade. Through the seven month, teacher-driven, pilot process, teachers and staff identified Illustrative Mathematics as the comprehensive set of sixth through eighth grade math instructional materials for NMUSD students. Materials were available for public review from May 10, 2018- to June 12, 2018.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Attention incoming juniors! Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? If the answer is NO or even if the answer is YES, join the SOY Career Mentor Program and get connected with professionals to learn more about a career you may want to pursue in the future. The SOY Career Mentor Program offers the following:

1:1 Mentoring from a professional in an area of your interest

Shadow a professional

Learn hands-on

Network and expand your connections

Mentors are available in the following areas:

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Humanities & Social Services

Health & Medicine

Business

Law & Law Enforcement

To sign up, please email Carolina at Carolina@save-our-youth.org. Include your name, high school, and list your top two areas of interest by Wednesday, June 20. See the attached flyer for more information about this unique opportunity.

Congratulations to the senior class members of Estancia High School. Graduation should be an occasion for pride and reflection. Please discuss with your senior the importance of responsible behavior during their graduation ceremonies. As mandated by school board policy, logical consequences for inappropriate behavior, such as removal from the ceremony, is possible. We ask for your continuing support during these final days of your child’s high school experience.

Commencement will be held on Thursday, June 21 at 3:00 pm in Jim Scott Stadium. Seniors who will be participating in the graduation ceremony must attend a rehearsal on Wednesday, June 20 at 9 a.m. in Jim Scott Stadium. In order to participate in the graduation ceremony, a senior must have completed the required courses and credits, completed their Senior Project, and fulfilled the community service requirement.

Please observe the guidelines listed below for the graduation ceremony.

Seniors:

Seniors are not permitted to have gum, food, or beverages of any kind on the field.

Students should report to the rear of the stadium close to the scoreboard by 2:00 pm.

Seniors who arrive late will not be able to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Boys should wear slacks, dress shirt, tie, and shoes. Girls should wear dresses, skirts, dress pants, blouses, and flat shoes. Spiked heels are not allowed on the turf at the stadium. Students whose dress is obviously inappropriate will not participate in the event.

Students receiving academic recognition can wear honor cords, medallions and stoles issued by the school. All other decorations and flowers/leis are prohibited during the ceremony. Students are not allowed to decorate their caps.

Seniors are to leave their personal belongings (cell phones, cameras, purses, etc.) with a family member as they are not allowed to have these items during the ceremony.

Staff members will conduct an open-gown check of all students for inappropriate materials prior to the ceremony. Caps and gowns are not to be put on until students have been checked. Staff members will also conduct an alcohol screening of all students.

Any student whose behavior detracts from the dignity of the ceremony will be removed by school officials.

Any student under the influence or in possession of alcoholic beverages or drugs will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony. Alcohol detection devices may be used to screen the graduates upon entry into the stadium.

Graduates will pick up their diploma certificates at the conclusion of the ceremony. Any graduates who need to return textbooks, library books, athletic equipment, or borrowed caps and gowns, must do so before receiving their diploma certificates.

Families/Guests:

Parents and their guests may arrive to Jim Scott Stadium starting at 2 p.m. Please arrive early as we anticipate seating approximately 3,000 guests.

No tickets are needed for the event.

Parents and their guests are not permitted to cross or enter the field area before, during or after the graduation ceremony. Graduates will meet their families outside the main entrance of the stadium following the conclusion of the ceremony.

No alcoholic beverages or smoking (including e-cigarettes/vape pens) is permitted at Jim Scott Stadium or on the Estancia campus.

The audience shall remain seated during the entire ceremony.

In closing, I would like to thank you for your efforts and offer congratulations on your successes. I am confident that we will see the graduates of the class of 2018 make positive contributions to our community, state and nation.

This may be one the last opportunities to earn community service hours this school year!

Victoria Elementary School is looking for volunteers to help with their annual Spring Fling on Friday, June 15 from 3:30-9:00 p.m. If you would like to help run the festival booths and earn community service while having fun, please contact Allison Mann at allimann949@gmail.com. Volunteers will be provided a free meal voucher too!

The Estancia PTSA would like to share information with you regarding the evolution of Grad Night at Estancia High School as you may have heard that the PTSA is not sponsoring a Grad Night event this year.

What is Grad Night?

A Grad Night event was originally spurred by concerns across the country about teens drinking and driving on graduation night. Grad Nights are planned by parents who form a planning committee. Some Grad Night committees opted to transport seniors on a bus to local amusement parks to celebrate their graduation all night in a safe, alcohol-free environment. Other schools began hosting their own Grad Night celebrations on the school campus or other venues starting late in the evening and running through the early morning hours. The event is typically a lock-in event, where the graduates are not allowed to leave until the event is over, to promote a sober celebration with dancing, food, and entertainment. Tickets are sold in advance for the event and the revenue generated from ticket sales is used to pay for the event. Grad Night was always intended to be held on the night of graduation.

History of Grad Night at Estancia

Estancia High School had a long standing history of sending students to Disneyland for Grad Night on the night of their graduation ceremony. Several years ago, Disneyland began to eliminate their Grad Night dates in late June as school districts shifted their school calendars to an August start date for each new school year. In the last few years, Disneyland has only offered a few Grad Night events in early June. Not wanting to disappoint the seniors, Estancia's Grad Night committees elected to continue holding "Grad Night" at Disneyland in early June even though the event was held one to two weeks before graduation and no longer met the true purpose of Grad Night - to provide graduates a safe and sober graduation celebration. "Grad Night" at Disneyland simply became a field trip for seniors sponsored by the PTSA. Due to rising ticket prices at Disneyland, only a small percentage of seniors at Estancia could afford to participate in this field trip.

Three years ago, the Estancia Grad Night Committee planned a Grad Night event for seniors to be held on graduation night at Dave & Busters. It was to be a lock-in event with food, DJ, and entertainment. The committee sold less than 50 tickets and therefore could not afford to pay for the event and had to cancel it last minute causing loss of revenue and contractual issues.

Estancia "Grad Night" 2018

In an effort to refocus on our purpose of Grad Night and avoid wasted energy and funds planning an event that seniors do not want to participate in, Estancia's seniors were invited to participate in an online survey created by our PTSA to weigh in on what kind of senior celebration they would prefer this year. Seniors were asked to select from the following options:

1.) Amusement park DAY TRIP on Friday, June 22. Example: Meet at Disneyland and spend a full day at park.

2.) An over-night secured event on graduation night (GRAD NIGHT) on Thursday, June 22 in the late evening to the early morning of Friday, June 23. Example: Spend the night inside Estancia’s main gym with food, DJ, dancing, movies, entertainment, and games.

3.) GRADUATION PARTY (not overnight) on Saturday, June 23. Example: Meet at a local beach for food, fun, and a bonfire.

86% of the seniors who participated in the survey voted for Option #1 - a day trip at a local amusement part the day after graduation.

With the overwhelming number of seniors wanting to go to a local amusement park the day after graduation, Estancia administration met with senior ASB leaders and the Senior Class President to discuss the survey results and what a day trip to Disneyland on Friday, June 22 might look like. Since Disneyland does not offer group discounts for tickets and the PTSA chartering a bus to and from Disneyland would increase the cost of the day trip for the graduates, it was decided that students would organize the celebration themselves and provide their own transportation to and from Disneyland.

If you have any questions regarding Grad Night, feel free to contact me at mamahydee@gmail.com.

10.a. Recognize Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s 2018 Super Star Award Recipients - The Super Star program was established to recognize employees who have demonstrated high levels of service excellence, going above and beyond expectations to make a positive and recognizable difference at the district.

Report

13.b. NMUSD Inclusive Practices - The Special Education Department has been developing Inclusive Practice models at a number of elementary schools. The focus has been to increase the participation of special education students in the general education programs. At present every elementary mild/moderate special education student is on a general education teacher's roster.

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Three Newport-Mesa Unified School District schools (NMUSD), Early College High School, Estancia High School and Newport Harbor High School, were ranked by U.S. News and World Report as top performing high schools in America.

The annual list published by U.S. News and World Report, looks at public high schools throughout the United States (more than 20,000) to select the best schools. Top performing schools are based on those serving all of their students well. Rankings are determined by student performance on state proficiency tests, graduation rates, and the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.

“We are extremely proud that our schools have been recognized for their hard work in preparing students for success,” said NMUSD Superintendent Dr. Fred Navarro. “Congratulations on this well-deserved honor; keep up the great work” he said.

Early College High School

Early College High School (ECHS) is a collaborative effort between NMUSD and Coastline Community College. Students are offered the opportunity to earn a high school diploma while meeting college entrance requirements. ECHS is an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) affiliated school, California Distinguished School, California Gold Ribbon School, California Department of Education Honor Roll School, and WASC Accredited. Learn more by visiting the Early College High School Website.

Newport Harbor High School serves approximately 2,200 students and offers a wide range of academic and extra-curricular programs, such as International Baccalaureate, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), an award winning Culinary Arts Program, highly acclaimed visual and performing arts programs, and competitive athletics programs. Learn more by visiting the Newport Harbor High School website.

We have a partnership with the Costa Mesa Police Department and the Newport Beach Police Department to provide School Resource Officers (SRO), which are local law enforcement officers who work closely with all of our schools.

All school sites have safety plans in place which are updated yearly and as-needed throughout the year. Safety plans are regularly reviewed and updated in collaboration with emergency responders and local law enforcement, including SROs.

Schools regularly conduct safety drills with students and staff to prepare for a variety of potential situations. Drills include procedures for lock down, shelter in place, run, hide act, among others such as earthquake and fire procedures.

Schools participate in threat assessment and emergency response trainings with local law enforcement and first responders.

Our district has a Crisis Response Team that is immediately deployed to a school(s) during a crisis to provide immediate and ongoing support and resources. Counselors, social workers, and school psychologists are available to students should they need additional support during difficult times. We also encourage parents to have open discussions with their children to help them process the event and continue to raise awareness about the importance of safety.

While we have plans in place that are regularly practiced, please know that school safety is not something we can do alone. The partnership and support that we have with our local law enforcement and our school community is critical.

We ask for parents’ support in reminding students to please take all drills seriously, follow law enforcement, teacher and site administrator instructions, and if they see something, say something - it is the best deterrent to potentially harmful situations. We want everyone on our campuses, including parents and guardians to be empowered to report unusual or suspicious activity.

Please know that we do all we can to provide a safe learning environment when students are in our care. We prioritize safety and continually assess our preparedness, improve our practices, and evolve with the changing times.

The City of Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Department is hosting "A Mad Teen Party" on Friday, May 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Downtown Recreation Center Gym at 1860 Anaheim Avenue in Costa Mesa. The event is free for teens in Grades 7-12. There will be a live DJ and food will be provided. See the attached flyer for more information about the event. Teens who would like to attend need to turn in a signed permission slip. The permission slip is attached.

Estancia High School's Best Buddies Program is looking for volunteers to help with the Prom hosted by the Special Education Department on Friday, June 1 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the EHS Commons. Volunteers will help set up for the dance, serve food, dance with students, and clean up at the end of the dance. This is a fun way to earn community service hours! If you would like to help, please see Mrs. Atkins in Room 324 to sign up.

Estancia High School's Prom, "City of Stars", will be held on Saturday, June 2 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Highway 39 in Anaheim. Tickets are on sale now through the Student Store. Tickets can be purchased through May 23. No tickets will be sold after that date. Please see the attached flyer for more information about Prom and ticket prices.

Estancia students who desire to attend Prom must complete a dance clearance form. Seniors must have met their Senior Project deadlines and have 40 hours of community service completed to attend the dance. Juniors must have at least 30 hours of community service completed to attend the dance. Students must clear any outstanding fees or fines through the library prior to purchasing a ticket. Estancia students may bring a pre-approved guest to the dance under the age of 21. Guests must complete a guest pass and provide a copy of their ID. The dance clearance form and guest pass form are attached. Alcohol detection devices will be used upon entry to the dance.

If you have any questions regarding Prom, please contact the Activities Office at (949) 515-6506.

14.a. Report on the Grade 6 – 8 Math Instructional Materials. Education Services along with Grade 6 - 8 elementary lead teachers and principal will report on the process and results for the math instructional materials pilot.

14.b. Report on Classroom, School and District Coordination for Integrated Pest Management. Staff will provide background Healthy Schools Act and will report on the implications of its Integrated Pest Management Plan.

Consent

18.b.4. Approve Agreement with Orange County Public Libraries to Sponsor a Summer Food Service Program at the Costa Mesa/Donald Dugan Library. The Nutrition Service Department will prepare, deliver and serve lunch to children each weekday from June 25 to August 3, 2018. Library staff will provide supervision and enrichment activities for children.

18.b.5. Approve the 2017-2018 Carl D. Perkins Career Technical Education Application. The application allows the District to qualify for Perkins funding for the 2018 - 2019 school year. The 2018 - 2019 allocation of $130,913 will help in the continuing support of the CTE programs.

Resolution Consent Calendar

19.a. Adopt Resolution No. 33-05-18 in Support if May 9, 2018 as “National School Nurse Day” and the week of May 7-11, 2018 as “National School Nurse Week”

19.b. Adopt Resolution No. 36-05-18 Recognizing California Day of the Teacher
May 9, 2018 and National Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11, 2018

19.c. Adopt Resolution 34-05-18 Recognizing May 20-26, 2018 as Classified School Employee of the Week

19.e. Adopt Resolution No. 37-05-18 Order of Biennial Trustee Election and Specifications of the Election Order. Elections for Newport-Mesa Unified School District Governing Board positions are held biannually in even years. A Governing Board resolution is required, which serves the County Superintendent of Schools an order calling the election and specifying the date and purpose of the election.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed sessionagenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open sessionitems are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

The Costa Mesa Senior Center is in need of volunteers to help with their "Tech Talk" workshops for senior citizens. Volunteers would help teach senior citizens how to use features on their cell phone such as how to text message, how to take a photo, how to send an email, how to us WiFi, how to sign onto a public WiFi, how to use Bluetooth, how to set up their calendar, how to install apps, how to set notifications and alarms on their phone, how to set up voicemail, how to add, edit or delete a contact, and how to use Skype or FaceTime on their phone. Below are a list of dates where volunteers are needed.

Friday, May 25

Friday, June 22

Friday, July 27

Friday, August 24

Friday, September 28

Friday, October 26

Friday, November 30

The Senior Center is located at 695 W. 19th Street in Costa Mesa. If you know how to use the above features on your cell phone and would like to help senior citizens in Costa Mesa, please contact Susan Davidson at (714) 327-7547 or at susan.davidson@costamesaca.gov.

11.a. Recognize Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s 2018 Classified Employee of the Year Recipients. The following classified employees were selected as NMUSD’s Classified School Employees of the Year and their names were submitted to the Orange County Department of Education for consideration as the Orange County nominee:

17.a.4. Approve Agreement With Studio+ for Architectural Consulting Services to Determine the Best Approach to Provide Access Control at all District Sites. The district has committed to a continuing effort to enhance security at our campuses. The Board of Education has requested that staff review these improvements and the conditions at the district's other sites to determine whether additional improvements may be appropriate to provide for secure access points and site perimeters.

17.b.1. Approve Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center Contract for California Elementary School for the 2018/2019 School Year. Students and teachers from California Elementary School will participate in the program offered at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center during the 2018/19 school year.Students will have a hands-on experience, interact with the natural surroundings in a program aligned with the California Science and/or Social Science Content Standards.

Discussions/Action Calendar

18.a. Adopt Resolution 32-04-18 Designating the Observance of Washington Day on February 18, 2019 and Lincoln Day on February 19, 2019.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

​​​​​​​ Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Pomona Elementary School is looking for volunteers who would like to help coach a soccer team for the Pilot Cup. If you would like to help, please contact Isander Gutierrez at igutierrez@nmusd.us.

Wilson Elementary School is looking for volunteers to help with their Family Fiesta on Friday, May 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Volunteers will help set up for the fiesta, serve food, run the game booths, and help clean up. If you would like to help, please contact Jami Paley at (949) 515-6995 extension 3204 or jpaley@nmusd.us.

Don't forget that you can earn 3 hours of community service on Thursday, April 12 by attending Peer Court at Estancia High School in the Library from 3:15-5:15 p.m. Just show up, sign in and sit in the audience!

See the attached flyers for more information. Remember to bring the attached Community Service Verification Form with you when you volunteer.

Cielo Cruz, a senior at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, was one of only 46 students worldwide to obtain a perfect score on the 2017 Advanced Placement (AP) Exam in Spanish Language and Culture. She answered every multiple-choice question correctly and earned full points on the free-response section. She will graduate in 2018 with a bi-literacy seal on her diploma, in recognition of her attaining proficiency in two or more languages.

Cielo Cruz, Senior at Estancia High School

Arriving to this country in second grade, growing up in a Spanish-speaking household, and having to constantly translate for her mom who spoke broken English, got Cielo immediately interested in languages. Her mom always instilled the importance of education and at a young age she became an avid reader in both English and Spanish. She spent summers, road trips, and family vacations reading;
it was and continues to be her passion.

During her four years at Estancia High School, Cielo has achieved a 4.46 grade point average and successfully passed multiple AP exams, including AP Human Geography, AP World, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP U.S. History, AP English Language, and AP Spanish Language.

“Cielo is a humble and kind person, who has always been an outstanding student at Estancia,” said Ms. Mayra Figueroa, Cielo’s AP Spanish Literature & Culture teacher.

With her many academic schievements, Cielo also finds time to be involved in extracurricular activities. She is on the school’s basketball team and is a member of Link Crew, which is a club on campus where upper grade students mentor new students on how to navigate high school, get involved and where to seek academic, social, and emotional support. She was also a member of the coding club, where high school students teach elementary students basic coding skills. She has been a member of the school’s academic decathlon and has competed in county competitions.

When asked what one of the most rewarding experiences she’s had in life, she immediately says the Police Explorers Program.

“I loved the Police Explorers Program. I enjoyed learning different perspectives on the world, delving into human nature, and following a thoughtful, organized system that meets my core values of discipline and integrity,” Cielo said.

Cielo takes pride in continuous improvement of herself, her community, and younger generations. She loves giving back to the community as a mentor, tutor, and source of support for kids who may not have these type of champions at home. She tutors kids in her community on a variety of subjects and works to improve the look and feel of her community with various service projects. Cielo also is learning Chinese at the Orange County Lingual Institute.

“I know what it’s like to work hard and I want to empower my community to know what resources and opportunities are available for them to succeed,” said Cielo.

As committed as she is to her success and the success of others, Cielo’s long term goal in life is to improve the environment. She hopes to make a positive impact on the environment by becoming a mechanical engineer and developing technologies to undo the harm people have caused in all aspects of our environment.

“What inspires me the most about Cielo is her strong values and the genuine care that she has for people,” said Ms. Mayra Figueroa. “It is remarkable to hear her peers speak about Cielo the same way. Her peers look up to her, value, and respect her. There’s no jealousy and that warms my heart,” said Ms. Mayra Figueroa.

Now in her final year in high school, Cielo is taking AP Spanish Literature & Culture and plans to take the AP Spanish Literature exam this spring. She also plans to take the AP English Literature, AP Physics, AP Calculus AB, and AP U.S. Government exams.

The College Board administers the AP exams worldwide, which are reported on a 5-point scale, where a 5 is equivalent to a grade of A in the corresponding college course. In the 2016-17 school year, more than 2,000 students throughout NMUSD took nearly 4,000 AP exams.

School safety is a concern for everyone particularly with the recent events that have occurred nationally and locally. While Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) has always prioritized safety we must continually assess our preparedness, improve our practices, and evolve with the changing times.

In an effort to support this important goal, Superintendent Dr. Navarro has assigned Deputy Superintendent Mr. Russell Lee Sung to immediately conduct an in-depth review of all safety related procedures, update policies and procedures (where necessary), and provide assistance to all school sites and work locations throughout the district. Since this will require focused attention in next several months, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Mr. John Drake, will temporarily assume many duties of Chief Academic Officer.

You may recall a communication that Superintendent Dr. Fred Navarro sent to NMUSD families in February, which provided a brief overview of current safety plans and procedures. While all our schools have comprehensive safety plans to respond to safety-related incidents that meet or exceed the compliance requirements of the state, NMUSD must have a renewed focus on all safety practices.

Since October 2017, district administrators from various departments throughout the district met regularly to review all aspects of safety. Mr. Russell Lee-Sung facilitated this process, and has supported and worked with site principals and district management.

On February 27, 2018 the Board of Education directed staff to provide recommendations for improved safety. A series of immediate short-term actions items have been developed and include, but are not limited to, the following:

Physical Environment

Conduct site safety reviews with focus on access to campus.

Law Enforcement Partnership

Coordinate increased School Resource Officers (SRO) visibility throughout all school zones, particularly at the elementary schools.

Continue to use social, emotional, and behavioral health support services and assess all threats and reports of bullying.

Implement the Challenge Success partnership at high schools. Challenge Success is an organization that provides strategies to staff, students, and parents to create a positive academic learning environment. Based on their work with our schools, Challenge Success will offer recommendations for creating a healthier school climate.

While these are only a few of the immediate action items, other long term safety measures must be considered on a district wide level and strategic basis after careful research and consideration.

Please know that safety is always at the forefront of our mind but safety requires the diligence of everyone playing an important role in contributing to a safe environment. We urge everyone to stay alert, report concerns, wait for official communication from your child’s school or our district, avoid spreading rumors or unsubstantiated information, and use good judgment and flexibility during an emergency as each incident is unique which may require modifications to our planned procedures.
____________________________________________________________

Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s (NMUSD) successful approach to curriculum adoption was featured in a case study by EdReports.org.

EdReports.org is an independent nonprofit designed to improve K-12 education. EdReports.org increases the capacity of teachers, administrators, and leaders to seek, identify, and demand the highest-quality instructional materials.

The case study reviewed NMUSD’s nine month curriculum adoption process for elementary math and English language arts instructional materials. The case study notes NMUSD’s commitment to a transparent adoption process that was data driven, aligned to state standards, and teacher-centered.

As part of the process NMUSD partnered with the Orange County Department of Education who supported the district with their deep knowledge and expertise to provide guidance on the adoption process, evaluation tools, professional development, and final program selection process.

The adoption process began with a Steering Committee, which included educators throughout the district. The Steering Committee reviewed and determined which two instructional material programs would be piloted. The next step in the process was intensive training into the shifts in mathematics. Each program was then piloted for seven weeks.

After months of meetings, piloting, and evidence gathering, the materials adoption team reviewed the results and began the consensus process to select the best instructional materials for NMUSD students. The first task in the consensus process was to build a shared definition and understanding of what consensus means.

“The idea is that all voices are heard, and you don’t move forward until everyone, even those who most oppose it, can see the will of the group emerging,” said Mr. George Knights, director for assessments for NMUSD.

Based on the analysis of the results, a consensus was reached through a variety of activities designed so that all voices would be heard and eventually reveal the will of the group. At the end of the nine month process, the NMUSD Board of Education adopted the recommended math and English language arts curriculum for elementary students.

While the comprehensive, teacher-centered adoption process ends there, the implementation, ongoing support for students and teachers, and parent education continues.

The implementation process began with a summer professional development series, where teachers participated in various training opportunities to learn the new material and approaches on how to best implement the material.

NMUSD also has implemented a yearlong Moonlight Series, which are two hour grade specific sessions to review upcoming units of study. The lead pilot teachers from the adoption process and district staff lead these monthly sessions.

As part of the momentum that’s building specific with elementary math instruction, schools also began incorporating parent education sessions. Each school site has flexibility as to how they engage, educate, and provide parents with resources to support their child’s learning. Some schools have hosted “bring your parent to math class day” or “muffins and math day,” for parents to see firsthand what math looks like in the classroom today. Schools also have or will host formal parent meetings and presentations to provide a greater understanding of the state standards and how students are learning math concepts to best prepare them for future success.

2.a. Discussion on a Possible Change to a Single Student Board Member for 2018-19.It is recommended that the Board of Education discuss the options of moving to a single student board member representative including the application, selection process, and expectations of the position.

Recognition

11.a. 2018 Harbor Council PTA Reflection Program – 4th District Award Recipients.The program honors students for their achievements in six categories: literature, film/video, visual arts, photography, dance choreography, and musical composition.

Report

14.a. Report on Engineering Pathway at Costa Mesa Middle School and Costa Mesa High School. Staff members from Costa Mesa Middle School and Costa Mesa High School will report on their Engineering pathway.

Consent

17.b.4. Approve the Memorandum of Understanding between NMUSD Project Kidz Connect, After-School Program and Girls Inc. of Orange County for 2017-2018. Girls, Inc. of Orange County would like to partner with N-MUSD Project Kidz Connect, After-School Program to provide 60 hours of intentional, research-based, interactive programming in 2017-2018 school year. The curriculum is focused on academic support, building life skills, or personal development.

Public Hearing/Discussion Action

18.a. Public Hearing of the California School Employees Association, Chapter #18 Initial Proposal for Reopener Negotiations to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for Negotiations Commencing 2018-2019

19.a. Public Hearing of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s Initial Proposal for Reopener Negotiations to the California School Employees Association, Chapter #18 for Negotiations commencing 2018-2019

Discussion/Action Calendar

20.a. Adopt Resolution No.31-03-18 in Support of Autism Awareness Month, April 2018.In order to highlight the growing need for concern and awareness about autism, the Autism Society has been celebrating national Autism Awareness Month since the 1970's.

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) congratulates Janice Duzey, Counselor at Costa Mesa High School, for receiving the Orange County Pathways Counselor Award. School counselors are invaluable in providing vital support to students in the areas of academics and mental health; they are a critical resource when it comes to student success.

Janice Duzey, Counselor at Costa Mesa High School

Ms. Duzey was recognized for her collaborative approach to supporting students in the areas of Career Technical Education, pathways, and preparing them for college and career success. She has worked in NMUSD for 18 years, starting at Estancia High School for one year and now serving as school counselor at Costa Mesa High School. Beyond helping students navigate the typical rigors of high school, coursework, preparation for college and beyond, she is also invaluable to students in the support of their mental health. She spends countless hours helping students and parents understand what options they have in navigating their path to success both emotionally and academically.

“My job is to help students identify their purpose and identify a pathway to that purpose,” said Janice Duzey.

Ms. Duzey finds that, while students may develop a passion in a particular area of study, some may complete a pathway and choose to go a different direction after high school. No matter what the students choose to do, completing a pathway gives them a real-life skill set beyond the typical high school graduation requirements that they can take with them regardless of the path they take in life.

“I am privileged to have received such a significant honor from the county, and thankful that I found my own pathway, passion, and sense of belonging as a school counselor,” said Janice Duzey.

This is the first year of the Orange County Department of Education’s (OCDE) Counselor Recognition Program and Ms. Duzey was one of nine counselors to receive an award. The OC Pathways award is collaboration between the OCDE and a consortium of ten community colleges. The award recognizes counselors that help students unlock their own interests, strengths, and passion and then develop goals based on those assessments. Ms. Duzey and the other award winners were recognized at an OCDE board meeting February 14, 2018. Ms. Duzey also will be recognized at the 2018 Orange County Counselor Symposium in October 2018.

Are you looking for ways to earn community service opportunities on campus? Do you need community service hours to attend Prom or graduate in June? Below are two upcoming community service opportunities at Estancia High School.

Students can earn 3 hours of community service for helping with various projects around the school such as cleaning desks and windows, making posters, and picking up litter. If you would like to volunteer, please see Ms. Figueroa in Room 269 to sign up. Volunteers should meet outside of the Main Office.

Estancia High School will be holding our first Peer Court after school in the library. Students can earn 3 hours for attending Peer Court as an audience member or 5 hours for volunteering to serve on the peer jury. Peer Court is a juvenile crime diversion program that utilizes restorative justice practices to keep teens in school and out of court.

Back Bay High School will also be holding Peer Court on Thursday, March 29 at 2:15 p.m. in their Multi-Purpose Room. Estancia students are welcome to Peer Court at Back Bay High School to earn community service hours.

If you have any questions regarding community service, please see Ms. Chamberlin or Mrs. Ceballos in the Main Office.

Estancia High School invites 8th grade students and their families to attend our Future Eagle Night on Thursday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Gym. The evening will begin with a short presentation in the gym followed by an information fair in the Commons. Students and families in attendance will learn about the academic, athletic and activity programs offered at Estancia and have the opportunity to meet teachers, counselors, administrators, and coaches. Teachers, ASB leaders, and Link Crew leaders, will offer tours of the campus. We hope you can join us!

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) announces the 2018 Classified Employee of the Year awards program winners. The winners will proceed for consideration in the Orange County Classified Employees of the Year Program.

The Classified Employee of the Year awards program recognizes employees that go above and beyond the expectations of their job duties to provide exemplary service to students, families, and colleagues.

The 2018 Classified Employee of the Year winners are:

Daniela Logan, Office and Technical

Francine Harms, Transportation

Maria Gomez, Para Educator

Patricia Sanchez, Child Nutrition

Daniela Logan

Daniela Logan - Center

Daniela Logan serves as an accounting assistant III and has worked for NMUSD for more than 20 years and is the employee of the year in the category of Office and Technical. Daniela is a talented and dedicated employee whose customer service focus builds strong relationships with various departments and school employees across the district. Her positive attitude and ability to truly connect with people of varying personalities, needs, and budget knowledge make her an invaluable resource to the fiscal team and district as a whole.

Daniela is critical in assisting the management of programs that directly impact students such as early childhood education, after school enrichment programs, and the preschool programs. She also developed and implemented a budget training program for the school sites and departments that she supports. This gives those departments a greater understanding of the budget process. Living in Long Beach, Daniela also serves students in that area too. She is a member of the Assistance League of Long Beach Mentoring Program. In this program she serves local high school students and connects them with internship opportunities, raises funds for college scholarships, organizes career oriented workshops, and hosts cultural activities. She is dedicated to ensuring that all students know that anything is possible.

Francine Harms

Francine Harms - Third from left

Selected as employee of the year in the category of Transportation, Francine Harms has worked with the district for more than 10 years in the transportation department. She started as a trainee bus driver and has worked her way up through the ranks and is now a bus cover driver managing 58 bus routes. Her ability to manage bus routes, placement of students, particularly those with special needs, mentoring drivers, maintaining records, and general office management makes her a perfect fit in the transportation department.

Francine’s charismatic personality builds camaraderie, support, and success. She regularly mentors, trains new drivers, and provides ongoing support and recommendations to experienced drivers. She comes to know drivers so well that she can actually tailor bus routes to match drivers to students that they can best connect with. Francine also has participated in the Bus In The Classroom program which teaches students with special needs life-long skills in independent mobility. She is a positive change-agent, kind hearted, and a collaborative problem solver. Francine works to build great morale amongst those around her in the workplace in many ways. Her random notes of kindness to drivers and positive inspirational quotes around the office make a deeply positive impact.

Maria Gomez

Maria Gomez - Center

Maria Gomez has worked as a special education instructional assistant at Killybrooke Elementary for 12 years, and was selected as employee of the year in the category of Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance. She is extremely creative, animated, and models good behavior for her students. Maria takes the time to get to know her students personalities, abilities, and preferences and then uses that to encourage success. She goes above and beyond what’s expected in order to help students unlock their passion and meet their full potential.

Maria believes in helping students become more involved, build friendships, and helping general education students become more accepting of all students. One year at a talent show, Maria had a student that loved dancing so she worked with that student to choreograph a routine along with backup dancers. She took the extra time and effort to make sure the students were prepared and comfortable. This is an example of how Maria’s passion and care, benefits more than just the students that she works with directly. Due to her years of experience Maria also is able to offer tips and ideas to colleagues on how to encourage students.

Patricia Sanchez

Patricia Sanchez - Second from the right

Patricia Sanchez has worked for NMUSD for more than 25 years. She currently works at TeWinkle Intermediate School where she has served for the past 10 years. As employee of the year in the Child Nutrition category, Patricia has served in a variety of roles in school kitchens. She displays this invaluable experience each day as she assists in the preparation of more than 700 meals at her site.

Patricia has a genuine care for each student and impacts their lives in a positive way each school day. She regularly encourages students to eat healthy and trade cookies and chips for fruits and vegetables. She takes time to get to know students’ favorite meals so that when they are honored with an exemplary behavior award she is sure to reward those students with their favorite foods. She is extremely flexible and cooperative in the kitchen and steps into the leadership role easily when her supervisor is absent. Patricia is able to lead and direct the work of her colleagues in a respectful and collaborative manner. She consistently exudes happiness and helpfulness in ensuring that the school lunch program is a healthy, positive place for staff and students.

The Classified Employees of the Year will be recognized at a future NMUSD board meeting and will be considered countywide for the Orange County Classified School Employee of the Year.

16.d.5. Approve Contract with Challenge Success to Provide Professional Development to NMUSD High Schools

Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

Estancia Intermediate Drama presents "You Can't Beat the House" on Friday, March 16 at 7 p.m. in the Barbara Van Holt Theater at EHS. Admission is $3 per person and tickets can be purchased at the door.

Santa Ana Public Library and the National Organization for Women will be hosting a free full day conference for young women ages 12-18 called #GirlsKnowCS. The conference is Saturday, March 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Santa Ana Senior Center located at 424 W. 3rd Street in Santa Ana. The conference will include a presentation by professional women in the Computer Science field from Microsoft, Zillow, and UC Irvine. This is an opportunity for young women to learn valuable information from professionals who want to share their experiences and give advice. Girls in attendance will learn critical thinking skills, learn basic coding skills with Surface laptops, be treated to a free light breakfast and lunch, and receive a goody bag. If you are interested in attending, view the attached flyer and click on the link below to register.

California Elementary School is in need of volunteers to help with their Astronomy & Science Night on Friday, March 9 from 5:45-8:15 p.m. Volunteers will help younger students complete projects and experiments and help run the various science stations in the Multi-Purpose Room. Volunteers are also needed to help sell food and drink items. If you would like to help, please click on the link below to sign up. Remember to bring the attached Community Service Verification Form with you when you volunteer.

Are you interested in serving on ASB next year? Applications for the 2018-219 Estancia High School Associated Student Body are now available. ASB is our student government program that organizes activities to promote school spirit such as pep assemblies, dances, break and lunch activities, and student recognition. Estancia's ASB is looking for responsible, reliable, and dependable students who would like to have a positive impact on the school. Students interested in serving as student leaders on ASB must complete the attached application. Completed applications are due back in the ASB office by Tuesday, March 20. If you have any questions regarding ASB or the application process, please see Ms. Figueroa in Room 269 or the ASB office.

Are you interested in being a Link Crew Leader next year at Estancia High School? Estancia is looking for current 10th and 11th grade students who would like the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our incoming 9th grade students.

Some qualities we are looking for in a GREAT Link Crew Leader:

Strong communication skills

Willingness to lead others

Responsible enough to manage a group

Commitment to be involved all year

Good attendance

Willingness to take risks

Interest in helping others

Positive role model

Enthusiastic

Respect for diverse ideas & personalities

Accountable to self and others

A minimum GPA of a 2.0

Please see the attached applications. There is an application for NEW Link Crew leaders and a separate application for RETURNING Link Crew Leaders. Applications for Link Crew Leaders are due by Friday, March 23 to Ms. Moore in Room 249. If you have any questions regarding Link Crew, please speak with Ms. Moore in Room 249 or Mr. Rodig in Room 251.

Please see the attached document for ways you can earn community service hours during the months of March and April. Spring Recess in April is a great time to earn community service hours. Below are a few ways you can earn community service hours in the month of March.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District needs help judging Robotics competitions

Victoria Elementary School needs volunteers to help with child care during parent meetings

Rea Elementary School needs volunteers to help with their STEM Night

Help clean up Newport Bay and Seal Beach

Serve food to the need at Someone Cares Soup Kitchen

Remember to bring the attached Community Service Verification Form with you when you volunteer and have an adult in charge sign off on your hours. If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Ceballos-Reyna or Miss Chamberlin in the Main Office.

Vaccines are available at no cost for non-pregnant individuals four years and older. Vaccines will be distributed on a ﬁrst come ﬁrst serve basis and will be given until posted time or until supplies run out. Please wear short sleeves or sleeveless top.

12.a. NMUSD Mental Health and Crisis Response Initiatives. Last Spring the Board of Education approved board policy and administrative regulations related to compliance with Assembly Bill (AB) 2246, which mandated suicide prevention and education training to public school employees. This action was just one component of a larger, multi-faceted, and ongoing plan related to providing mental health and social and emotional supports to all students and families in the District. This report will offer a mid-year assessment of the initiatives related to the crisis response protocols that have been put into place since the adoption of AB 2246 board policies and administrative regulations

Consent

15.a.8. Approve a 24-Month Extension of the Memorandum of Understanding With the City of Newport Beach for Field Improvements at Newport Elementary School. The City of Newport Beach is requesting a 24-month extension to improve the playground and fields. The City of Newport Beach will design, bid, and construct the improvements including but not limited to all plans, specifications, permits, drawings and public notices.

15.b.1. Approve Addendum for Instructional Materials Adoption Support with the University of California, Irvine History Project. The UCI History Project has assisted NMUSD secondary history and social science teachers with comprehensive staff development to support the implementation goals for history and social science. This proposal is an addendum to the ongoing relationship between the UCI History Project and NMUSD to support the district to initiate the process of instructional material adoption.

Discussion/Action

16.a. Approve California School Board Association (CSBA) Delegate Assembly Election for 2018. CSBA Delegate Assembly is the primary policy-making body of the association. Each year in the fall, nominations for representatives to CSBA's Delegate Assembly are accepted. Delegates represent 24 regions throughout the State of California, and serve alternating two-year terms.

General Board Meeting Overview

Board meetings are where elected officials conduct the business of the school district. Agendas for regular meetings of the NMUSD typically consist of a closed session and an open session.

Closed session agenda items are confidential and cannot be shared with the public. If the board agenda contains a closed session, the topics will be routinely related to confidential employee or student issues and/or pending litigation. The Board may also discuss various negotiations with its chief negotiator in a closed session.

Open session items are non-confidential agenda items in which the board conducts its business in view of the public. Open session agenda items are divided into the following sections:

Public comment is provided so that members of the community can speak to the Board. If a speaker addresses an issue that is not on the agenda, the Board is restricted from responding to the speaker. If a speaker addresses an issue that is on the agenda, the Board may respond when the agenda item is scheduled to be addressed in the agenda. The purpose of the open meeting law, commonly referred to as the Brown Act, guarantees that public organizations will only make decisions or address issues that have been publicly posted. Public comments on non-agenda items do not meet this threshold.

Presentation is when an item is being presented to the Board or from the Board. Examples include presentation of a check or proclamation to the Board, or the Board presenting a Distinguished Service Award to a staff member.

Report is a verbal communication from staff on a topic of interest to the Board.

Consent calendar items are routine items of business that occur on a regular basis. The board will approve the consent calendar in one vote, unless the board pulls it for discussion. Often, consent calendar items are related to contract renewals, construction change orders, purchase of previously approved instructional materials, supplies and routine approvals required by state law.

Discussion/action calendar items are required to be publicly approved separately. Items in this category are new items that have not been previously approved, require a policy change, or are related to compensation changes for all employees.

The Estancia PTSA is hosting "Fall in Love with the Westside: Westside Love, Family Movie Night" on Friday, February 9 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the EHS Main Gym. Please see the attached flyer for more information about the event which includes movies, snacks, drinks. crafts, and Valentine making. Dinner is available for purchase.

Save Our Youth (SOY) will be hosting a high school retreat February 19-21 during Presidents' Recess. Winter Camp provides teens an opportunity to connect with nature, peers and great role models. During Winter Camp, students will participate in workshops, listen to guest speakers, go on hikes, engage in crafts, participate in team building activities, learn archery, and enjoy campfires. Please contact SOY if you are interested in attending. A $25 deposit is needed to secure your spot. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Estancia Production Drama and Newport Harbor Production Drama proudly present Shrek the Musical on February 15-17 at 7 p.m. and February 18 at 2 p.m. at the Robert B. Wentz Theatre at Newport Harbor High School. Please see the attached flyer and press release for more information.

Volunteers are needed to help judge the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Vex League Robotics competition on Monday, February 26 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 1 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Earn up to two hours of community service for helping. Students will use the VIQC hub app on an iPad to score the matches and training will be provided on the app. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Christie Darnall in the N-MUSD Education Technology Department at cdarnall@nmusd.us.

The Orange County Committee on School District Organization is hosting the following public hearing meeting regarding Newport-Mesa Unified School District's request to approve and establish Trustee Areas from which Newport-Mesa Unified School District Governing Board Members will be elected in a By-Trustee Area Election Process.

Estancia High School's Winter Formal Dance will be held on Saturday, February 10 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel in Costa Mesa. Tickets are on sale now and will be sold through January 31. No tickets will be sold after January 31. Ticket prices are as follows:

Early Bird Prices - January 16-19

With an Estancia ASB Card $50

Without an Estancia ASB Card $60

Regular Prices - January 22-31

With an Estancia ASB Card $60

Without an Estancia ASB Card $70

Students in Grade 12 must have at least 25 hours of community service completed and have met all Senior Project deadlines to date to purchase a dance ticket. Students in Grade 11 must have at least 20 hours of community service completed and students in Grades 10 must have a least 10 hours of community service completed to attend the dance. There is no community service requirement for students in Grade 9 to attend the Winter Formal Dance.

Estancia students may bring an approved guest under the age of 21 to the dance. All guests must complete a Guest Pass Form and provide picture identification.

Alcohol detection devices will be used upon entry to the dance.

If you have any questions about the Winter Formal Dance, please contact the ASB Office at (949) 515-6506.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District allows Parent School Choice Transfers for residents within the district boundaries. Dependent upon availability, the parent or guardian of any school-age resident student may request for their child to transfer to another school. The Parent School Choice transfer request application period for the 2018-2019 school year begins January 15, 2018 at 3:00 pm. and closes on March 15, 2018 at 11:59 pm. Please visit thetransfer request application webpageto apply. A lottery process is used to rank the applications in priority order. Parents will be notified regarding the status of their Parent School Choice Transfer request application by email or in writing by May 15, 2018. For more information, please visit the transfers webpage.

Would you like to participate in a different Eagle Activity during the Estancia Tutorial-Advisory Program next semester? If you would like to switch into a different activity, please click on the link below to let us know what activities you would be interested in. Please remember that you must have a 2.5 GPA of above at the end of fall semester and no D or F grades at the end of the semester to participate in an Eagle Activity. Eagle Activity options include:

Creative Writing

Career Exploration (Grades 10 & 11 only)

Senior Project (Grade 12 only)

Hispanic Cinema

Theater

Electronic Music Production

Woodworking

Robotics

Yoga & Relaxation

El Reto

Quick Fit

Please note that some students will be placed in a Math Tutorial based upon their teacher's recommendation or the Senior Project Eagle Activity based upon the recommendation of their counselor or school administrator.

We are partnering with BrightBytes, an educational data analytics company, in order to learn more about our students’ school and home technology use for learning. We are reaching out to ask you to take part in our parent/guardian questionnaire.

Your participation is essential in helping us form a more complete picture of technology use for learning in our students’ lives. Please know that all of your responses will remain anonymous to protect your privacy and they will help your child's school choose the right technology for their classrooms. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Revolution Prep will be offering SAT and ACT Test Prep for juniors. They will be offering a mock SAT exam on Saturday January 13th, a mock ACT on Saturday January 20th (at EHS) as well as a boot camp/test prep starting in February (also at EHS). Please see attached flyer for more information including the tentative dates of the boot camp/test prep. There is also a registration form attached as well. If you are interested in any of the items mentioned above, please complete the registration form and turn in the counseling office by Friday December 22nd. The mock exams are being offered free of charge. The boot camp/test prep costs $10. Please make checks payable to Estancia High School and pay at the ASB window.

SOY will be hosting a Winter Leadership Retreat during Presidents' Recess, Monday, February 19 to Wednesday, February 21 at the YMCA Camp Elk in Wrightwood. Winter Camp gives teens a chance to connect with nature, one another, and great role models. The camp includes workshops, guest speakers, hikes, crafts, team building activities, and archery. Space is available on a first come, first serve basis. Please see the attached flyer for more information about the camp and information about how to register.

The Calendar Review Committee, comprised of certificated and classified staff, parents, district administrators, and employee bargaining units, typically develops calendar recommendations two to three years in advance of implementation. For the past few years, the Committee has discussed the concept of a collegiate calendar; the school year starting prior to Labor Day with the first semester ending prior to winter break.

Starting this fall, the Committee met five times to explore and consider a collegiate calendar. The Committee began by seeking anecdotal data from the school community which led to the attached Fact Sheet (Benefits and Concerns/FAQs). A survey was circulated to obtain input related to the concept of a Collegiate Calendar. Five information meetings were hosted to share and clarify particulars of the Fact Sheet and gather input from staff, parents and students.

The Committee carefully weighed these components prior to coming to a recommendation. When reviewing the information gathered, the Committee found that the responses on the survey varied with overall results indicating most respondents did not support the move to a collegiate calendar. Analyzing subgroups from elementary, middle and high school respondents, there was a gradual increase of support for the change (please see attached survey results). Comments collected during the information meetings identified multiple benefits for students, numerous concerns regarding heat in the classrooms of those schools without heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and the timeline for implementation. While there has been a systematic plan for HVAC installation since 2013, the plan beyond the summer of 2018 was not available during the time of the survey and information meetings. The complete installation plan for all remaining schools was shared during the November 14, 2017 Board Meeting (please see attached).

After extensive analysis and discussions, the Committee recognized significant student benefits of a collegiate calendar particularly when they reach the secondary level and acknowledged the primary concern expressed by many stakeholders for HVAC to be installed at all school sites. The Committee considered the new information provided in the HVAC plan to address the concerns regarding heat and explored ways to provide students the benefits of the collegiate calendar. The Committee ultimately determined moving to a collegiate calendar was in the best interest of students. Implementing it three years from now would address concerns related to HVAC installation and create more time to plan for the transition.

The Calendar Review Committee has made the following recommendations and will meet to design the details of the calendars, which will move forward to the District and NMFT negotiation teams:

A traditional calendar for the 2018-2019 school year (Adopted October 10, 2017)

A traditional calendar for the 2019-2020 school year

A collegiate calendar for the 2020-2021 school year

Upon completion of negotiations and approved by the Board of Education, the adopted calendars will be made public.

This year, Estancia High School established a new campus program called Link Crew to help freshmen with the transition to high school through academic and social mentoring. Seventy 11th and 12th grade Link Crew Leaders were selected through a rigorous interview and training process to prepare them to serve as student leaders. Their role is to help incoming freshmen as they assimilate to high school culture through activities specifically designed to promote and nurture individuality, self-esteem, team building, and inclusion within Estancia High School’s campus. Each pair of volunteer Link Crew Leaders are responsible for working with an assigned group of 9-12 freshmen, meeting four times a week during instructional time allocated for the Estancia Tutorial-Advisory Program building friendships beyond their peer mentoring roles. In order to better support the freshmen academically, Estancia High School will allow our Link Crew Leaders access to the School Loop portals of the freshmen they are assigned to work with to check student progress reports and provide tutoring and assistance as needed. Access will also provide the Link Crew Leaders the opportunity to celebrate and encourage the successes of each 9th grader.

If you are not in agreement with your child’s Link Crew Leaders having access to your son or daughter’s School Loop account to view their grades to provide additional support to your child, please contact me at (949) 515-6551 or jchamberlin@nmusd.us. Also, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our Link Crew Program.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District has partnered with Hanover Research, an independent research firm, to explore parents’ experiences with our district. The findings from this exploration will support the development of our district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).

As part of this exploration, Hanover Research will conduct a series of telephone interviews with parents. These conversations are designed to explore how parents engage with our district and their child’s school, and how parent engagement could be improved.

Participants will be selected at random and participation in these interviews is voluntary. However, it is important that members of the Newport-Mesa school community participate because only they can tell us about their perceptions and experiences. Please note that participation or non-participation will not affect any relationships you or your student(s) have with teachers, peers, or administrators. If you choose to participate, your responses will be kept anonymous.

You may be contacted by Hanover Research in the coming weeks to request your participation. If you have any questions or do not want to participate in these conversations, please email Hanover Research’s Content Director, Cate Keller at: ckeller@hanoverresearch.com or call 714-424-8919.

Even though Club Rush was held in the beginning of October, it's never too late to join a club at Estancia High School! Attached is a list of all the clubs currently offered at Estancia, a short description of each club, when each club meets, and the meeting location. We encourage all students to join at least one club. If nothing on the list sounds interesting to you, start a new club. Please see Ms. Figueroa in the ASB Office to learn how to start a club. Get involved Eagles!

SOY is now offering new dance and spin classes. Classical Modern & Ballet will be offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. Hip Hop will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:15 p.m. -6:15 p.m. and Spin class, taught by Soul Cycle Instructors, will be on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. All of these classes are FREE and held in SOY's new Dance Studio. See the attached flyer for more information.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) is considering a shift to a collegiate calendar to more closely align with neighboring school districts and local colleges. This shift would start the school year up to three weeks prior to the Labor Day holiday and end the first semester prior to the winter break.

As a unified school district, this decision impacts everyone; therefore, NMUSD is in the process of seeking input from the school community regarding the potential shift. Please see the Collegiate Calendar Fact Sheet link below. The Fact Sheet includes background information, dates for informational meetings, benefits, concerns/frequently asked questions and the survey link (survey will be available November 1-15).

Your input will help guide the Calendar Committee in developing their recommendation. The final decision is determined through the negotiations process and adopted by the Board of Education.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Students Show Growth from 2015 to 2017 in Statewide English and Math Assessment

Students in Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) show growth from 2015 to 2017 in statewide English Language Arts (ELA) and math assessments. NMUSD students also remain above the Orange County and California averages in ELA and math.

The Smarter Balanced assessments are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), which tests ELA and math standards for students in grades three through eight and grade 11. The Smarter Balanced assessments are computer adaptive tests that adjust the difficulty of the test items based on how a test taker responds. This provides a more precise measure of student performance.

The Smarter Balanced assessments, now in the third year, show an increase of 4.57 percentage points in NMUSD students having met or exceeded ELA standards, and an increase of 3.99 percentage points in students having met or exceeded math standards, when compared to the 2015 baseline assessments.

Many NMUSD schools have shown impressive growth during the three year period. Ensign Intermediate School maintained growth all three years in both ELA (9.0 percentage point growth) and math standards (8.50 percentage point growth). Nine schools have shown a growth of more than ten percent in ELA standards, with Adams Elementary showing a growth of 19.23 percentage points. Five schools have shown double digit growth in math standards, again with Adams topping the list at 17.13 percentage point growth.

Specific to Title I schools, nearly all have shown growth in ELA and math standards. Adams, Sonora, and Paularino Elementary Schools have shown double digit growth in both ELA and math standards.

“It is encouraging to see our Title I schools performing well,” said Deputy Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Russell Lee-Sung. “This is a testament to the focus of our teachers, and principals to improve our instructional program for all our students,” he said.

Our district has been focused on providing support for classroom intervention systems to better implement differentiation of instructional strategies. This allows teachers and instructional assistants to provide targeted support to struggling students and additional enrichment opportunities for high achieving students, such as small group instruction with specifically tailored instructional materials.

ELA and math results for English Learners have remained relatively flat throughout the three year assessments. Our district is focused on improving English Learner proficiency by providing additional supports, such as the adoption of new elementary English Language Arts, English Language Development, and math instructional materials. Our district has added two Instructional Specialists in 2017/18, for a total of three that are solely dedicated to improving English Learner proficiency in all subject areas.

Looking at grade levels, third and sixth grade students have shown consistent growth in both ELA and math, throughout the three years of the assessments. While the district looks at improvement at all grade levels, there has been a strong focus on the third grade foundational skills. It is widely known that if students are not reading at grade level by third grade, it is increasingly more difficult for them to meet future grade level performance.

Comparing results from 2016 to 2017 assessments, NMUSD students showed a slight growth of .57 percentage points in ELA standards and a decline of 1.01 percentage points in math standards.

“We are confident that the selection of new elementary math and ELA/ELD instructional materials being implemented this school year will improve student proficiency,” said Deputy Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Russell Lee-Sung.

The current statewide assessments only focus on ELA and math standards, however it is anticipated that the California Science Test (CAST) will be included in the state testing program in 2019. In the meantime, NMUSD teachers continue to work on the next generation Science Standards (NGSS) to prepare for the CAST.

Individual student 2017 assessments were mailed to parents. The NMUSD Smarter Balanced testing schedule for 2018 is anticipated for March 20 through June 15.

While statewide assessments provide valuable information about overall student progress and areas for improvement, they do not provide a holistic view of student achievement. The new California School Dashboard is expected to provide a more detailed view of performance, based on multiple factors, beyond state testing results. These factors include graduation rates, suspension rates, chronic absenteeism and college and career readiness. However, the State is not expected to provide this data until December 2017.